2014 in photographs

My baby. Grew into not so much a baby this year. Here she is off to nursery for the first time!

It is a very belated but sincere Happy New Year from me - as usual! I want to say my new years resolution is to blog more, but it always is and it rarely works, so maybe if I say nothing, it might happen organically?! 
I don't want to make excuses, but I have had an incredibly busy last few months, and it looks set to be a busy start to the year too, with some rather large life changes occurring on top of all the usual work stuff. So, before the madness really kicks off, I wanted to take some time to look back at last year through some of my favourite photographs. 
Another ambition of mine is to become a better photographer, and last year I tried very hard, most of these are mine, all are highlights. Other, more professional pictures posted here are by the talented and lovely Britt Spring who is now back in her native Australia, I am going to talk more about her soon.

2014 was all about the babies! A reassuring reminder in a stressful, sometimes shocking year that life is good. Nothing like holding a baby to ground you and make you feel like everything will be ok.

Lots of weddings this year too, my littlun was a gorgeous bridesmaid twice and loved the twirly dresses!

The vintage double decker at this wedding was amazing!

I tried out tapestry crochet and promptly designed possibly my favourite ever project this year, Polygon Blanket from Inside Crochet Issue 53 

I also tried out bead crochet and promptly designed another favourite project! This is my favourite ever shot of one of my pieces, by gorgeous Britt Spring. Necklace in Issue 58 of Inside Crochet - my favourite issue...so far!

Possibly my favourite ever shot from Inside Crochet so far - shot by Britt Spring. Stunning cami by the talented Jenny Reid from Issue 55.

I just shot this on the hubbie's iphone, but I love it. It is at Kenwood House, a favourite place of ours. There was so much beautiful colour abounding this autumn, this sums it up.

Gorgeous Judy, love this little lady, have enjoyed spending time with her this year and her adorable new little sister - her feet are in the pic above. Love everything about this picture, the colour, her lips, her hair.

Finally, the last images are all about friends, I see too little of beautiful little Grace and I am going to make an effort to spend more time with friends relaxing this year, especially as I am moving away from all of them...eek!

Grace has chickens. Loads of them! I love being at her relaxed house and this sign sums it up.  This bright, welcoming feeling is what I am aiming for in my new house! I am not afraid to use The Good Life cliche!

Another from our summer trip to Grace's. Millie loved the chickens, the dirt, the playing in the mud outdoors with loads of little friends. More of this this year please. 

Free Easter Pattern

Happy Easter to one and all! This is a little late, but I have decided to re-post an old pattern of mine that I use in special Easter classes. File it away for next year, or decorate with different face as the perfect project to teach you kids how to knit - and a very happy Easter bank holiday Monday to you all.

Claire xEgg Cosy Pattern copywrite Claire Montgomerie 2010

Materials
Any scraps of dk weight yarn, 4mm needles, darning needle, felt and buttons for decoration

Simple Cosy Pattern, ideal for beginners

With 4mm needles, cast on 30 sts and knit every row for 6 cm, knitting in stripes if you wish.
Cut off yarn, leaving enough to sew up seam. Thread through all stitches and pull up into a round. Sew up seam and fasten off yarn.

Stocking stitch pattern

With 4mm needles, cast on 30 sts and knit every row for 4 rows. Change to stocking stitch and work for four cm, ending with a p row. You can knit in stripes of four rows of each colour if you wish.

Next row: (k3, k2tog) 6 times (24 sts)

Next row: purl

Next row: (k2, k2tog) 6 times (18sts)

Next row: purl

Next row: (k1, k2tog)6 times (12 sts)

Next row: purl

Cut off yarn, leaving enough to sew up seam. Thread through all stitches and pull up into a round. Sew up seam and fasten off yarn.

Use buttons or googly eyes for eyes and felt shapes for beaks. Use oddments of yarn for hair, faces, eyelashes.

Rabbit ears

(These are worked in garter st, but you could do them in stocking st, or in a mixture of stitches.

With 4mm needles, cast on 7sts.

Work two rows garter st, inc one stitch at either end of next row, then work a further 3 rows garter st. (9sts)

Dec one stitch at either end of next row, then work further 3 rows garter st (7sts)

Dec one stitch at either end of next row, then knit one further row (5sts)

Dec one stitch at either end of next row. (3sts)

Next row, sl 1, k2tog, psso. fasten off final stitch.

Make two the same. (you could also make two more ear shapes in a contrast colour and attach them to the inside of the main shade ear shape) and attach to the top of the cosy.

NB. Please feel free to use this pattern to make your own cosies but please do not reprint or resell this pattern on. Copywrite Claire Montgomerie 2013.